Seattle Storm coach Noelle Quinn shared the reason behind her intense sideline conversation with Indiana Fever head coach Christie Sides on Sunday.
The Indiana Fever improved to 13-15 in the 2024 WNBA season after a 92-75 victory over the Seattle Storm. While the game was tightly contested through three quarters, the Fever pulled away in the fourth, turning the final minutes into what seemed like mere garbage time.
However, Christie Sides chose to keep her starting lineup on the court until the final buzzer, a decision that didn’t sit well with Noelle Quinn and some members of the Storm.
Quinn expressed her frustration with Sides during a sideline exchange that was captured on the CBS broadcast. The two coaches appeared to be having a heated discussion as the game wound down.
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Quinn addressed the interaction in her postgame press conference, explaining, “We were just having a spirited conversation about gamesmanship.”
“We were just having a spirited conversation about gamesmanship.” Coach Noelle Quinn said about her heated exchanged with Indiana Fever Coach Christie Sides at the end of the game. #WNBA
— Storm Chasers (@WNBAStormChaser) August 18, 2024
Despite the tension, any lingering animosity seemed to dissipate quickly, as Quinn and Sides were seen hugging during the postgame handshakes, suggesting that no lasting bad blood remained between the two.
What’s clear is that the Fever are on a hot streak, and their dominant performance against a Storm team that many expected to contend for a WNBA title this season has likely put the rest of the league on notice.
While Indiana and Seattle won’t face each other again in the regular season, a potential playoff matchup could reignite the drama, making for a must-watch series after Sunday’s heated exchange between the head coaches.
